Shade
by TicTacToeUK
Summary: Set after SW:TLJ. After years of planning, a First Order captain is finally ready to hatch her scheme to get rich quick. Whether she makes it through alive depends on her squad of storm troopers...and her ability to lie.
1. Chapter 1

"So you're saying that we go rogue like that traitor 2187 ? Ren would have us killed in an instant". After he finished speaking TX-3176 quickly glanced at the two men sitting on either side of him and then all three men looked across the table at their captain for clarification; She in turn shook her head but continued on -

"Not rogue. No. We should just start serving ourselves as well as the First Order is all. Look around. The writing is on the wall. Think about it; there's two outcomes and either way we have no long term future."

The other three men looked puzzled, so she elaborated further, "havent you three clowns ever thought about this ?", she looked around at the others but was greeted only with silence, "look", she said, "the first outcome is that the First Order wipes out the resistance scum, that would be the best option of course, but then they won't need as many of us troopers - so what do you think is going to happen to the majority of us ?..." Captain let this hang in the air for a second or two before glancing around the mess hall to make sure no one was paying them any unwanted attention. She lowered her voice even further "...Or the second outcome is that somehow, however unlikely, the resistance wins - now in that case, and just speaking for myself here, I don't want to be hanging around to see which prison planet they ship us all off to...So to my way of thinking I want to be prepared to disappear quick time regardless of what happens"

She paused, looked around again before leaning closer to the men, "...And besides, what do you think the First Order would do if they ever found out that we four were even thinking for ourselves now ? Do you think we would get medals pinned to our chests ?"

SA-4444 had been silent up until now, but now he laughed ironically. "More likely to end up with blaster burn marks on our chests..."

"Exactly Quads" Captain Shade replied to him, "Which is why we will have to be especially careful if we decide to do this. Which reminds me, where is 9178?"

TX-3176, or Tex as he was known in the group answered, "He had to go to stores, he also said he was just heading back to his dorm afterwards".

On hearing this Shade's eyes narrowed slightly with anger. She sat in silence. She didnt move. The effect made her team uneasy.

Tex thought about what Shade had said for a moment, before looking around at the three others sat around the table. They all nodded in agreement.

"Ok", he finally said, "so go through the plan once again".


	2. Chapter 2

Shade sat back in her chair, trying to appear as though she was relaxing with some of her squad members. The mess hall they were in was large, probably the largest on The Finaliser, with small tables arranged neatly in rows running along the entire length of it. Suspended from the high ceiling were large lighting units, and overlooking the entire room was a balcony from the floor above. It was on this balcony that Kylo Ren was standing. He was looking directly at the distant table that Shade and her men were sitting at, although she was unaware of his presence, he was very aware of her. He continued watching intently - studying her. He had been given information that she was acting suspiciously which only reinforced what he had been feeling through his use of the Force. He hadn't probed too hard as he was intrigued by the developments he was sensing. He suspected that Shade herself didn't know it yet, but he was certain that she held some low level Force abilities.

Shade glanced around again at the nearby people; the mess hall was very busy - it always was. She had the feeling they were being watched but she couldn't tell from where.

Ren's eyes narrowed as he turned away and headed towards the bridge. He knew he would have to deal with Shade one way or another when the time was right - when certain sequences of events had played out. Now was not the time though.

The strange feeling Shade had about being observed had passed, but even so she scanned the room again. She couldn't make any mistakes now. The nearby tables were full of troopers chatting and eating. Some of the faces she recognised, some she didnt, but none of them were paying any attention to her table. She glanced up towards the balcony. No one there. Finally satisfied, she leant in towards the three men sitting opposite her.


	3. Chapter 3

Shade wasn't about to tell Tex, Quads and the third trooper ZK-39921 who she called Zak, the whole plan but now was the time to make them buy completely into it. She kept her voice low. "Ok, so it's just as I described.

Tomorrow we are shipping out for Anoat. This isn't known yet, I've just been told, so say nothing to no one. Apparently intel was received that the resistance have set up a base there. We've been given the assignment to be the forward scouts for the larger fighting contingent..."

"Anoat ?", Quads said interrupting his captain.

"Keep your voice down" Shade made him stop talking with a piercing look. She composed herself slightly and said "Yes, that's right...is there a problem with that", the tone in her voice betraying the irritation she felt at being interrupted.

Quads picked up on the rebuttal immediately, his voice pitch lowering considerably. "No problem as such Captain, it's just we've all heard the stories about Anoat. The place is still toxic after the poisonings - most of population left the planet; those that were left went insane and are now known as Lurkers. These Lurkers are supposed to be crazed lunatics. No one choses to go to Anoat. Nobody at all"

Shade smirked "Firstly it isn't toxic, granted it used to be, but it isn't any more. It's more like...off limits now...the fact that stories persist about these so called Lurkers, and the rumours of unbreathable air make it an ideal location for a secret base don't you think ?"

The three men let this information sink in for a second or two before Zak spoke up "ok, so how is this going to make us rich ?"

"Ah, now you are asking the right questions. Ok before the poisonings, Anoat was a city wide planet - much like Coruscant, filled with the obvious such as banks, but who knows what other riches there were left in museums or temples for example...We are going to be on that place for 48 hours before we have to ship out and report back. More than enough time to get everything we can."

The three troopers looked at each other and nodded slowly, as if each of them were realising for the first time what was on offer.

On seeing this Shade knew she had picked the right team. She also knew that they would never know her real plan until it was too late to stop it. Anoat had also been home to a prolific weapons designer; a designer whose work had been continued on by a secret group for years until after the toxic atmosphere had sent the rest of the population insane. This group then suddenly stopped communicating, presumed missing or dead. Shade had found out through one of her contacts that the weapons lab had never never been investigated or visited since - the planet having been put on lock down after this loss of communication. Shade figured if she could access some of the unreleased designs they would be worth a fortune on the black market. Enough to let her disappear forever.

"So", she continued in a whisper, "not a word to anyone outside of us four - even when we get planet side we will need to pick our moments. I will tell you all when."

"Us four Captain ?", Tex said, "When are we going to tell 9178 ? Summer will need to know the score...shall i open a secure comm link to her now, tell her to get down here "

Shade knew of her error as soon as she had said it. She inwardly berated herself for being so sloppy. It wouldn't happen again. Outwardly she smiled though "I already told Summer some the plan after combat training earlier, so no need. I meant that none of us should even discuss it with each other after we've left this table. Not until we land. Not even any encrypted comm links to each other...do you all understand ?"

She looked at each man in turn. They all solemnly nodded back. When she was satisfied she stood up, said in a voice loud enough that the people around her could hear "Ok men. Update over. I've been called to the weapons room".

Shade didn't give the three men a second glance as she strode away from them.


End file.
